Following a meeting held with government officials on May 19, 2025, the teachers expressed deep disappointment with the government failure to address their demands despite a grace period since April 18, 2025.
Tensions have been building for months between teachers in Cameroon and the government, and now the situation is reaching a breaking point, threatening to affect the smooth unfolding of official examinations. COREC, a coalition of 19 teachers’ unions, had submitted proposals for better working conditions and a special status for educators earlier this year. But since then, nothing has moved forward. “The file is just gathering dust in the Ministry of Public Service,” a union leader said anonymously, frustrated by the lack of progress. At first, it seemed like both sides were on the same page.
There were even talks of discussing teachers’ demands at a National Education Forum except nobody knows when, or if, that forum will actually happen. For teachers, the delays are just another sign that the government is not serious about fixing their problems. Beyond the demand for official recognition of their profession, the biggest issue is money. Many say their salaries are too low to survive, especially as living costs keep rising. “How can we do our jobs properly when we can barely afford to live?” asked a high school teacher in Douala. The government insists he is working on a solution but says these things take time. “We hear the teachers’ concerns, but procedures must be followed,” a government official in the education sector said.
That explanation is not good enough for the COREC, which believes the government is just stalling. Now, teachers are taking drastic action. COREC has called for a total boycott of end-of-year exams meaning no supervision, no grading, and no cooperation until their demands are met. This could throw the entire school year into chaos, with hundreds of thousands of students set to take major exams in the French sub system of secondary education, the BEPC, Probatoire, and Baccalauréat. “We have run out of options,” a COREC member said. “If the government won’t listen, we will force them to.” Some worry that the biggest victims won’t be the government but the students, who have already suffered through years of unstable schooling. Cameroon’s education system has been struggling for a longtime with overcrowded classrooms, lack of supplies, and frequent strikes have made learning difficult.
A national forum could help address these deeper issues, but right now, the immediate concern is whether exams will even happen. Behind the scenes, mediators are trying to get both sides back to the table. There is still a small window for negotiation, but it is closing fast, following the mood in which the teacher fine themselves.one source close to the talks said. With time running out, the standoff between teachers and the government is more than just a fight over salaries is a battle over the future of Cameroon’s education system. If no deal is reached soon, the consequences could be severe.
Students may face delayed exams, teachers could go on a full year strike, and trust in the education system could collapse further. For now, all eyes are on whether the government will act before it is too late.
